And at last we come to the final installment of the previews--4A girls.

Alamosa has departed to 3A, leaving a vacancy on the throne. Evergreen looked like a prohibitive favorite almost all season long last fall before misfiring at the state meet. Cheyenne Mountain waded through a sluggish season before coming up strong to finish third at the state meet. Greeley Central, Montrose, and Moffat County each showed flashes of brilliance during the season but just as surely left the state meet feeling like they were better teams than what the final score indicated. And, finally, Thompson Valley extended their string of finishing either first or second at state to five years.

What will this year hold? Even if I knew for certain, I wouldn't tell as it would ruin most of the fun. Look for an exciting year in 4A girls.

Evergreen has to be coming into the season looking for redemption. The Cougars were crushing people all season long before the wheels came off. Bryn Haebe, Maura O`Brien, and Sam Skold are back to see if they can reprise the magic and maybe make it last a couple weeks longer this fall. If you're looking for an initial favorite, this group seems to fill the requirements.

But, there will be other contenders to deal with.